Foldable or collapsible boat



Jan. 24, 1933. w. E. ELLING FOLDABLE 0R COLLAPSIBLE BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. I4, 1951 Jan. 24, 1933. w. E. ELLlNG 1,895,380

FOLDABLE OR COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed Jan. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2 6% AZZZ Z a-0 62 Patented Jan. 24, 1933 WILLIAM. E. ELLING, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, YORK FOLDABLE CR COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Application filed'January 14, 1931. Serial 508,654.

This invention relates to improvements in foldable or collapsible and portable boats for pleasure cruises and other useful purposes which are conveniently to be transported in their folded condition, and it is the principal object of my invention to' provide a boat of simple and therefore inexpens ve construction yet durable and efficient in operation,

' which iswater-tight when unfolded and capable of carrying an adequate load, ye

light and portable. Another object of my invention is the pro vision of hinge constructions for the connec- .tion of; the parts of a watertight folding structure allowing a'ready folding and producing. a water-tight closure. v Still another object of my invention 1s the provision of a collapsible boat, the walls of which are made of thin material, (just thick 26 enough to be watertight), and stiffened by longitudinal laths or battens on the outside and cross-laths on the inside of the boats A further object of my invention isthe provision of a foldable or collapsible portable boat having a flat bottom'with straight or curved side edges equipped at its ends with a hingedly connected, rigid end element allowing a ready folding of the boat, or allowing the insertion of a stationary end piece to provide a boat foruse with outboard motor which is secured by means of suitable clamps.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a foldable or collapsible boat which may either be made of wood or metal and the parts of which are connected by water-tight hinges or other suitable means.

Other objects of my invention are foldable or collapsible boats having a straight keel at centre line and a curved form of edges at connection of sides and bottom, thus, creating U shaped end sections of boat and a W shaped midship section. The end pieces being hingedly connected to each other and to the side walls.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become more fully known as the construction thereof proceeds, and

In the accompanying drawings forming a Q I material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a foldingjor collapsible boat constructed according to my invention, i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the boat collapsed.

V Fig. 3 is a central section through the boat,

Figurel.

Fig. 4. is a; similar" section throughthe boat s; ,Figure2.

1 Fig.1 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the boat folded... v

Fig; 6 an enlarged side elevation 6f a hinge mechanism to be used iw thmy folding boat.

form of my folding or collapsible boat. f I Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same folded.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section through the boat, 7

Figure'l.

Fig. 10 illustrates another modified form of my folding boat, lookingat bottom;

Fig. 11 shows the boat, Figure 10,, folded- I Fig. 12 illustrates the construction of boat walls, when made of'wood or similar materi'ali 1 l i Fig.13 is a section on line 13-18 of Figure 1-2, and showingthe fore and aft alternate lo-Y cation of stiii ening batten so these are. not in way ofeach otherwhen folded.

Fig. 14 is a sectional side elevation of a. hinge.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of another form of hinge so called'double piano hinge.

, Fig. 16 is a fragmentary side elevation of a watertight connection of said and bottom Without hinge. s Fig. 17, is a View similar to Figure 16 of another form of hinge.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the preferred form of my collapsible-boat consists of two-side parts '10, 11, andabottom made in two parts 12,13, hinged together along the keel 14, by means ofhinges 15, 15, while the sidepartsare hingedly connected to the bottom parts by means of the hinges 16,16 of any. desired type "for instance such as described..hereafter..= Y i d Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a modified I will then be specifically defined in the ap- 50 pended claims. The boat thwarts are designated 18 9g respectively and are removably held between the side parts 10, 11, and supported'against the bottom by means of braces 19 and 20 respectively.

; 1 he end pieces consist each of two parts.

21, 22, and 21, 22 respectively hingedly con;- nected to each other along their median'lines 23, 24, respectively, and tothe sidewalls by means of suitable hinges 25 for instance such as to be more fully described hereafter.

The end pieces are connected attheir lower ends to the bottom parts in..any well known a manner watertight yet allowing a ready sepa-' ration of same for folding. This construction will make the boat more seaworthy than the U-shaped b0ats,'as the side walls are inclining outwardly as for instance shown in Figure 3. I

a In Figure 6, I have illustrated a hinge construction which I may use to connect the bottom andv side parts of the boat.

The hinge construction may be used either assingle hinge as shown 'on the left hand side part 26, shown as metal side of a, boat with hand sideof the Figure 6 thebottom halves side ofFigL' re' Each of these hinges consists of three parts,

or as double hinge as shown 'o'nth'e righthand of the third part 33 also with stiflening batten on inside; In order to makethe hinge conne'ction water-tight a piece of felt 34 is entered and hel'dby h'ooked end 36. I V a In the double hinge shown at "the right 34", 34 have inner curved'fingers 35, 35'

' adapted to be engagedby the curved. and

i hooked ends 36 '36 spaced from the ends of 5 preferred form of fingers35, 35 and'pieces of felt 37, 37 are v interposed between the individual finger ends and held'by hooked ends 36, 36'. V A straight part 38"formed with the inner ends of fingers 36, 36"is bolted asjat 39'to the straight part 40 of rounded or curved fingers Y 41, 41 engaging the backs of elements 34, r

In Figures 7 8, and 9, I have illustrated.

a-modified form of my invention according to which the boat has a bi-partite rounded fiat bottom the'parts ofwhich are designated 5 As shown'the sides of the boat are kept apart in the unfolded position of the boat by a thwart '48 braced a ainst the bottom by a removable brace 49. 1 n this form of my invention it is possible to c'lose'one of the ends by means of an end piece which may be secured'to the boats side walls and bottom by closed in such manner.

parts, as at 7 suitable readily removable clamps in order to' obtain in this manner an outboard runner and'speed boat, or both ends may also be Intheform of folding or collapsible boat illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the boat has a fiat'bottom 50, 52 with straight or curved side edges, to which the sides 51 are hingedly connected as at 53, 54, respectively.

.The bottom is at ends hinged upwardly as indicated at 55, 56, by'hinges 57, 58 when the boat is'set up as such, and the ends of the slde Walls are hinged to the middle part thereof, as at 57-, 58; The foregoing described boat shows the advantage of having increaseddlsplacementat the ends.

It will be clear that the bottom parts can i be connected to the side parts of the'boat instead of by hing-es, by clamping the edges of the parts between two strips secured to the sideor bottomparts and presenting a watertight closure.

It will'also be evident thatthe lower edges of the side parts and the outer edges of the bottom parts must have absolutely homogeneously rounded forms inorder toenable a. perfect folding of the boat'if the parts are foninstance connected by hinges; Q

During the unfolding ofthe boat the bot until they assume an angle of and the i013 and the sides willbend proportionally V bend thus will cerrespond exactly to the bend j 3' of themar 'in which ma be radial which a: v A 1 7 7 however, in order to obtain a more-ship-like form may have its main bend more towards T"- the ends. v V

Thehinge hangersat the ends of the boat willcompensate forthe tension opposing the unfolding-of boat and are preferably to be used in all forms of boats having curved sidewalls.

In Figures 12 and 13, I have illustrated the wall I construction for wooden boats in which the veneer pieces 59,

60, are laid against an intermediary muslin or canvas piece 61, or the like by means of which the Veneer pieces are held together b stitching. This construction provides light, yet utmost strong boat walls. ed, the preferredv form' of wall-construction in which a plate of any watertight material is stiffened by longitudinal lathsor battens on the outside and cross-laths on the inside.

It will be clear. that this construction will take. the necessary bend very easy.

Figures 14, 15, and 17, illustrate the preferred form of hinge constructions which I use in the formation of the various forms of my folding or collapsible boat. Q n

I As shown in Figure14, the hinge is comto be secured to the walls 60, 67, to-becon- As illustrate .posed of a tube 62 open for about A), of its nected by the hinge. It will be evident that the flange of the smaller tube can be rotated for an angle of 90 to the other larger tube.

In Figure 15, I have illustrated a hinge which may be called a double hinge preferably to be used to connect the bottom halves 68, 69, of a boat to the keel 70. The hinge leaves 71 are'attached by means of screws 7 2 to the keel. Brass strips 73 are fastened to bottom halves 68, 69, and press felt strips into the grooves of keel 7 O to produce a watertight closure.

As shown in Figure 16, water-tightness is obtained without any hinge by clamping or wedging, when unfolded, bottom 7 i and felt strip 83 between strips 81, 82, to side 7 5.

The hinge hangers or link connections illustrated in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 are located at the ends of the boat to compensate for the tension opposing the bend of bottom Yet and side and includea pair of links 76, 77, pivotally connected as at 7 8 at their inner meeting ends, while the outer ends of these links are pivotally secured, as at 7 9, 80,

to the sides and bottom respectively.

The hinge illustrated in Figure 1? connects the sides 84 of a boat with the bottom 85 which are connected by links 86, 87, pivotally connected at their meeting ends, and pivotally connected at their outer ends, as at 88, to a fitting on the side 84: and at 89 to a fitting at the bottom, while an ordinary hinge 9O connects'both, and a felt layer 9]. ensures a water-tight closure.

The operation and use of my foldable and collapsible boats will be entirely clear from .the above description by simultaneous inspection of the drawings, audit will be understood that I have disclosed the preferred forms of my invention only as examples of the many possible ways to practically construct the same and that I may make such changes in the general arrangement of my.

device and in the construction of the minor details thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims, without departure from the spirit of my invention, so for instance I may provide cushioning material for the inside of the boats as well as the outside thereof made for instance of kapoc which serves as a protecting means for the boat and tends to make the same non-sinkable. c

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hinge construction for the parts of foldable boats comprising a large tube having a circumferential opening formed therewith, a smaller tube received in said larger tube, and hinge plates formed with said tube adapted to be secured to the walls to be connected by the hinge. p v

2. A double hinge for connecting the bottom halves of a foldable boat to its keel havattached ing a groove, comprising hinge leaves, adapted to be attached to the keel, brass strips fastened to the bottom halves and felt strips in the grooves of the keel adapted to be pressed thereinto by said brass strips to produce a water-tight closure. l

3. In foldable boats, a means. for producing a watertight closure between the side walls'and bottom of a foldable boat com .prisingstripsattached tothe side walls and between bottom and one of the a felt body side wall strips, and a means for spacing bottom and side parts apart allowing a folding of same against each other.

4. In a foldable boat a means for connecting the sides of the boat with its bottom, links; allowing a folding, connecting sides and bottom, pivotally connected at their inner meeting ends and pivotally connected at their outer end to said sides and bottom, an ordinary hinge connection between side walls. and bottom, and a felt layer for ensuring a water tight closure.

5. A collapsible, portable boat comprising a keel straight at its center line, two rigid yet outwardly warping bottom plates with straight centerand curved outer edges, rigid said side walls and bottom plates and between Y keel and bottom plates, a curved connection at the side walls and astraight connection at the keel, said bottom and sides forming a Y rectangular section at the endof bottom and keel and an opening limit of thehinges between sides and bottom of 90, creating a true W-shaped midship-section when unfolded, two rigid plates'at each end of the boat hingedly connected to one another and to the side walls- 1 6. In a collapsible, portable boatof the class described, the combination of a straight connection of the bottom halves tothe keel at the center line of the boat, and a curved hinge connection between the bottom halves andthe sides of the boat, with an action limit of 90 of the hinges between bottom halves and sides, forcing the last named parts to form a true W at mid-ship section for keeping said parts horizontal and vertical respectively at the ends of the boat, two end plates hingedly connected tov each other and to thesides of the boat.

7. In a collapsible, portable boat of the class described, two rigid plates at eachend of the boat hingedly connected to each other and to the side walls, forcing said end plates to press automatically against the end edges 1 of the bottom of the boatwhen same is opened or unfoldedby spreading the side walls outwardly by a thwart or seat.-

8. if hinge construction for collapsible boats comprising the side of a boat having a curved lbw'er' end, a Straight element bolted to said side of the boat, a hinge element formed at the lower end of said element in.-

cluding acurved finger, the bottom of the boat having a curved outer edge constituting .a second hinge-element adapted topress into 7 :1- piece of felt entered between and held by v the finger of the firstnamed hinge element.

of anuary, A.

' Signed atiNew'York, in the county of New York, and State of NewiYork, this' 9th day D. 1931. I; WILLIAM E. ELLING. 

